Cutting tool for pelts or the like

ABSTRACT

Tool for cutting fur pelts, sheets of leather, or the like, into narrow strips and formed of a handle to which block of cutting blades is removably fixed. The blades are removably secured to a body in spaced parallel relationship; the spacing between blades being equal to the desired width of the strips. In a first embodiment, the blades are secured to the body in such a manner that the cutting tips lie in a line that extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the blade block, that is at an angle less than 90* with respect to the direction of cutting. In this embodiment, the blade block is removably mounted on the handle by being clamped between two jaws, one of which can be bodily displaced toward the other in clamping engagement. In the second embodiment, the blade body is removably mounted on an arm extending from the handle, being held thereto by a spring biased locking pin removably received in a T-shaped slot of the body.

United States Patent 1 1 Hurtubise [4 1 Apr. 3, 1973 [54] CUTTING TOOL FOR PELTS OR THE LIKE 57 ABSTRACT Horace Hurtubise, 3256 rue Allard, Ville Emard, Quebec, Canada Filed: Feb. 1, 1971 Appl. No.2 111,374

Inventor:

US. Cl. ..30/287, 30/294, 30/304 Int. Cl ..B26b 29/00, B26b 3/04 Field of Search ..30/299, 304, 286, 287, 289,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/1931 Lowenthal ..30/304 12/1956 Glotzer ..30/304 4/1920 Philips l ..30/304 10/1939 Fanning ..30/304 UX Primary Examiner-Robert C. Riordon Assistant Examiner-Gary L. Smith Att0rney-Raymond A. Robic Tool for cutting fur pelts, sheets of leather, or the like, into narrow strips and formed of a handle to which block of cutting blades is removably fixed. The blades are removably secured to a body in spaced parallel relationship; the spacing between blades being equal to the desired width of the strips.

In a first embodiment, the blades are secured to the body in such a manner that the cutting tips lie in a line that extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the blade block, that is at an angle less than 90 with respect to the direction of cutting. In this embodiment, the blade block is removably mounted on the handle by being clamped between two jaws, one of which can be bodily displaced toward the other in clamping engagement.

in the second embodiment, the blade body is removably mounted on an arm extending from the handle, being held thereto by a spring biased locking pin removably received in a T-shaped slot of the body.

12 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAPRB I975 3.724.071

.SHEET 1 BF 3 INVENTOR Horace HURTUBISE PATENTEDAPR 3 I973 SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENT 'OR Horace HURTUBISE ATTORNEY PATENTEDAPRB I975 3,724,071

sum 3 [IF 3 INVENTOR Horace HURTUBISE M A TTORNEY CUTTING TOOL FOR PELTS OR THE LIKE The present invention relates to a tool for cutting fur pelts, sheets of leather or the like, in narrow strips.

The cutting tool presently in use for such work is a twin blade instrument wherein the blades are elongated arms kept apart at one sharp end by means of an adjustable screw while the other ends are secured together. The width of the strips to be cut out of the material is obtained by adjusting the distance between the tips of the blades.

The major disadvantage with a cutting tool of this nature lies in that only one strip can be obtained at a time which, considering the important number of strips usually required in fur wearing apparels, particularly coats, makes the strip cutting work a very time consuming operation.

Another disadvantage with the presently used cutter is that the blades are exchangeable one by one only. Also, although one of two blades of present day cutters can be located as close to the edge of the pelts as possible, this is not so of the other blade which is in frontal alignment with the first one. It will be remembered that fur pelts are usually cut crosswise along diagonal lines so that the edge of the pelts actually stands at an angle with a line joining the tips of the blades, in present day cutters.

It is therefore a major object of the invention to provide a new cutting tool construction for fur pelts or the like wherein several strips can be cut at one time with a block of blades that can be readily removed from the blade-holding handle. Also, the blades in the blade block according to the invention are arranged with the cutting tips thereof disposed along a line that extends obliquely with respect to the longitudinal axis of the blade block, that is obliquely with respect to the direction of cutting.

It is believed that a better understanding of the invention will be afforded by the description that follows of preferred embodiments thereof having reference to the appended drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cutting tool made according to my invention, the instrument being shown in use for cutting a fur pelt;

FIG. 2 is a side elevation view, partly in cross-section, of the tool with the blade block being inserted in the handle;

FIG. 3 is, likewise, a side elevation view with part in cross-section, the blade block being now held captive in the handle;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the instrument with the blade block shown removed;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the blade block;

FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the blade block;

FIG. 7 is a perspective, partially exploded, view of a second embodiment of my invention;

FIG. 8 is a side elevation view of part of the tool of this second embodiment, the blade block being shown removed from the handle;

FIG. 9 is a horizontal cross-sectional view through line 9-9 of FIG. 7, assuming the blade block about to be locked to the handle.

Broadly, the invention comprises a handle 1 to which a block 3 of cutting blades 5 is removably mounted. The block 3 is formed of at least one blade-holding body 7 (FIG. 5)-and a pair of blades 5 mounted on either side thereof, means being provided to removably mount the blades 5 on the body 7 whereby several blocks may be made for selective use with a single handle, such blocks serving either as spare or replacement blocks or else having different numbers of blades for cutting one, two, three or more strips at a time. I have found that the tool worked particularly well with four blades, thus giving three strips at one time.

More specifically, and as shown, the handle has a shoe 9 having spaced feet 11 extending beneath a portion of the blade block 3 with the cutting tips or edges of the blades 5 projecting forwardly of the shoe feet 11. The latter, as will be gathered from FIG. 1, serves to act as a support, in the use of the tool, bearing on the pelt l3.

The upstanding part of the shoe 9 is formed with a square cutout 15 (one side of which is cut away in FIG. 4, for clarity) for the insertion ofleg 17 of'the handle 1, leg 17 having a forwardly directed step 19. The cutout 15 has an elongated slot 21 at the back thereof so that after the shoe 9 has been slid into the desired position over the leg 17, a screw 23 locks it into position. As clearly illustrated in FIG. 1, this will allow adjustment of the distance between the bearing feet 11 and the blade block 3.

The said block 3 is removably secured to the handle 1 by means of a protruding arm or jaw 25 solid with the handle 1 and a second jaw 27 movable with respect to the first jaw 25 so that the block 3 may be clamped therebetween. The second jaw 27 is an L-shaped member having a clamping leg 29 parallel with the first jaw 25 but extending over only a portion of the blade 3, as clearly as shown in FIG. 3, so as to leave the forward the tips of blades 5 unobstructed. The member 27 also has an actuating leg 31; a notch 32 being cut out between the two legs for sitting over the step 19. A guiding rod 33 extends freely through the step 19 and the actuating leg 31 of the jaw 27, being screwed in the bottom of an elongated square opening 35 into the handle l; resilient means such as a spring 37 wound around the rod 33, serves to bias the jaw 27 away from the jaw 25 in sitting position on the step 19 when the jaws are open as in FIG. 2. Shoulders 39 projecting laterally from the top of the actuating leg 31 are used for raising the jaw 27 toward the jaw 25. This is obtained by the action of a lever 41 pivoted at 43 to the handle 1 and having a portion 45 engageable with the shoulders 39 of which the faces are bevelled to assist in the actuation. As shown in FIG. 2, when the lever 41 is pivoted downwardly, the portion 45 thereof lifts the jaw 27 against the spring 37 to thus clamp the blade block 3 between the two jaws 25, 27 as shown in FIG. 3. Once in that position, a latch 47 is swung into engagement with the lever 41 to hold the latter into position against spring 37. This latch 47 may have a hook end 49 receivable into a notch 51 formed on the lever portion Referring again to FIG. 5, the block holding body 7 is formed with a pair of square grooves 53 on opposed edges thereof and the jaws 25, 27 are formed with square tongues 55 facing one another and engageable in the grooves 53 in clamped position of the block 3 in the handle 1, to prevent the said block from moving with respect to the holding jaws.

As perhaps best illustrated in FIG. 3, the upper cutting edges of the blades 5 (shown in dotted lines) overlie the sides of the jaw 25 in clamped position of the block while the lever 41 has a channel-shaped underpart 57 of which the web sits over the top edge of the jaw 25 and the flanges overlap the sharp top cutting edges of the blades 5 whereby to protect the fingers of the user. It will be noted that the rear end of this underpart 57 has a double cutout 59, 61; cutout 59 serving to accomodate the handle 1 while cutout 61 serves for the screw 63 fixing the underpart 57 to the top piece of the lever 41. The elongated slot or cutout 61 allows adjustment of the underpart 57 to suit the user.

Attention will now be directed to the blade holding block 5 particularly illustrated in FIGS. 5 and 6 and using four blades capable of producing three strips, as shown in FIG. 1.

The flat blade-receiving sides of the previously mentioned body 7 are each formed with a pair of equally spaced recesses 65, the recesses on one side being however retracted with respect to the recesses on the other side. Itwill besides be noted that the faces 67, 69 of the body 7, although of the same length, are retracted one with respect to the other.

There are two further blade-mounting bodies 7', disposed on either side of the central body 7 and generally of the same construction with the exception that the recesses are replaced by spaced projecting lugs 71 that extend through holes 73 of the blades 5 to be receive into the recesses 65 of the central body 7 and into the recesses 75 of end locking plates 77, respectively. By such means as the lugs 71 of the bodies 7 and holes or recesses 65 of the body 7 and of the locking end plates 77, it will be appreciated that all parts of the blade block 3 may be held in fixed relationship with the cutting tips of the blades 5 lying in a line which is inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of the blade block 5 or, in other words, inclined with respect to the direction of displacement of the body, as will be clearly seen from a study of FIGS. 1 and 6. The preferred angle is approximately 45.

As mentioned previously and as shown'in FIG. 1, fur pelts are cut diagonally across the width thereof so that the strips will be as long as possible. The blade tips are retrieved, as shown, in order that the cutting lines for all blades starts as close as possible to the starting edge, as clearly shown in FIG. 1. Also, this arrangement permits spreading of the stress caused in the material by the cutting action, on a wider area.

The above-mentioned spacial relationship between the blades 5 is secured by means of bolts 79 pivoted at 81 to the end plates 77 and by means of threaded rods 83 threading into holes 85 of the central body 7 and holes 87, 89 of the other bodies 7' and the end plates 77. It will be understood that such rods are sufficiently long to protrude from the end plates 77 a distance such as to insert the hook end of the bolts 79 between the heads of rods 83 and the adjacent end plates 77.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, the means for securing the blade block 3 to the handle 1 comprises a holding bar 91 integral with and projecting from the handle 1 above the step 19, then acting as a bearing foot to be applied against the material to be cut. A locking pin 93 having an actuating knurled knob 95 extends freely through an aperture across the bar 91 in the direction of the step 19. The pin 93 has a locking cross-piece 97 at the lower end thereof that also prevents it from falling out of the holding bar 91. A spring 97 biases the pin and cross-piece in a direction away from the step 19. In cooperation therewith, the body 7" is formed with two T-shaped holes, one on the top and one on the bottom edge of the body. Each has a first passage 101 that will allow passage of cross-piece 97 only lengthwise while a second passage will allow a rotation so that it may be held captive therein as clearly shown by the dotted line position of FIG. 9.

As in the previous embodiment and as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 7, the top cutting edges of the blades overlie the sides of the holding bar 91 and a channel-shaped member 103 lies over the bar 91 with the flanges thereof overlapping the top cutting edges of the blade whereby to guard the fingers of the user against injury. Obviously, the pin 93 extends through the web of the member 103.

The blade holding sides of the body 7" are each formed with a pair of spaced recesses 105 into which are received lugs 107 of two end plates 77' much as in the previously described embodiment. Threaded rods 83 screwed into body 7" extend across holes 89 through the end plates 77' and is engaged by the hooked end of the bolt 79. Thus the assembly of the two blades 5, the body 7" and the end plates 77' will be suitably held together to form the blade block 3.

Localization of block 3 in position will be helped by the provision of short prongs 109 projecting downwardly from the bar 91 to be received into suitably positioned holes 111 of the body 7".

In this particular embodiment of FIGS. 7, 8 and 9, although a block of only two blades has been shown, it will be appreciated that a block of three, four or even more blades can be resorted to. Indeed, and as mentioned previously, I have found that the tool works very well with four blades.

Finally, it will be seen that the blades 5 shown look very much like ordinary razor blades and indeed are very similar except that the body thereof is thicker than that of ordinary razor blades. This is necessary in order to avoid the cutting tips from partly collapsing under the cutting pressure applied by the user.

I claim 1. A tool for cutting fur pelts, sheets of leather, or the like, into narrow strips, said tool comprising:

a; a handle;

b. a block of cutting blades, comprising:

at least one blade-holding body;

one cutting blade on either side of said body, each blade having at least one cutting edge defining at the end thereof a cutting tip;

means removably-securingsaid blades to said body in spaced parallel relationship with respect to one another and with respect to the longitudinal axis of said handle; said spaced relationship being commensurate with the width of said strips; the cutting edges of said blades projecting from said body;

wherein said removably securing means includes means fixing said blades in said parallel relationship such that said cutting tips lie in a line inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said holding body and blades, and

0. means removably securing said blade block on said handle, at one end thereof.

2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 including a shoe on said handle having feet extending beneath a portion of said blade block with said cutting edges projecting forwardly away from said shoe, said feet intended to act as a support bearing on said-pelts, sheets of leather or the like in the use of said tool.

3. A tool as claimed in claim 2 wherein said shoe is mounted at the lower end of said handle for sliding displacement relative thereto selectively to set the distance of the shoe to said portion of said blade block, and means to secure said shoe in selected position.

4. A tool as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means removably securing said blade block to said handle comprises:

a first jaw projecting from said handle above said shoe;

a second jaw projecting from said handle, below said first jaw and spaced therefrom a distance sufficient to allow insertion of said blade holding body therebetween;

means moving one of said jaws toward the other one to clamp said blade holding body therebetween, and wherein said second jaw extends, in clamped position of said blade block, beneath a portion of said blade holding body with said cutting edges projecting away from said second jaw.

S. A tool as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second jaw is an L-shaped member having a clamping leg parallel with said first jaw and an actuating leg slidably mounted on said body, and said means moving one of said jaws comprises:

resilient means biasing said clamping leg away from said first jaw;

shoulder means formed at the free end of said actuating legs; and

a lever pivoted on said handle and having a portion engageable with said shoulder means to move said clamping leg toward said first jaw against said resilient means when pivoted in a predetermined direction.

6. A tool as claimed in claim 5 including latching means on said handle engageable with said lever to hold said blade block in clamped position.

7. A tool as claimed in claim 4 wherein said body is formed along opposed edges with grooves and said jaws are formed with facing tongues engaged in said grooves in clamped position of said blade block.

8. A tool as claimed in claim 5 wherein some of the cutting edges of said blades overlie the sides of said first jaw in clamped position of said blade block and wherein said lever has a channel shape portion with the web thereof standing over the edge of said first jaw and the flanges thereof standing over the blade cutting edges standing over the said sides of said first jaw.

- 9. A tool as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means securing said blade block on said handle comprises:

pin having a locking cross piece at the end thereof facin said shoe;

resrhen? means biasing said pm and cross piece m a direction away from said shoe;

wherein said body is formed with a T-shaped hole opening toward said locking pin constructed to receive said cross piece when disposed in one direction and lock said body against said bar after said cross piece has been rotated by 10. A tool as claimed in claim 9 wherein some of the cutting edges of said blades overlie the sides of said block holding bar and comprising a channel shaped member over said bar having side flanges overlapping said blade cutting edges, as guards.

11. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two further blade-holding bodies, one on either side of the first mentioned bodies; there are two further blades with holes, said blades being disposed on the outer sides of said further blade-holding bodies, and there are locking plates disposed on either outer side of said two further blades, and wherein said means removably securing said blades to said body comprises the following structural features:

the blade-holding sides of the first mentioned body are each formed with a pair of equally spaced recesses, the recesses on one side being retracted with respect to the recesses on the other side, in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said first mentioned body;

each of said further bodies has a pair of equally spaced projecting lugs on the sides thereof, the lugs on one side being retracted with respect to the lugs on the other side in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said further bodies, said lugs extending across holes through said blades and being lodged into said recesses of said first mentioned body;

said locking plates are formed with recesses for the reception of the lugs of said other sides of said two further blade-holding bodies, and

means locking said bodies, blades and locking plates together whereby the cutting tips of said blades lie on said line inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said holding body and blades. 12. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means removably securing said blades to said body comprises the following structural features:

the blade-holding sides of said body are each formed with a pair of spaced recesses, the recesses on one side being retracted with respect to the recesses on the other side in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said body; there are two locking plates disposed each on one side of said body and blades to overlie said blades, said plates being formed with lugs extending through holes in said blades and being lodged in saidrecesses of said body, and

means locking said body, blades and locking plates together to form said bloek' whereby the cutting tips of said blades lie in said line inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said holding body and blades. 

1. A tool for cutting fur pelts, sheets of leather, or the like, into narrow strips, said tool comprising: a. a handle; b. a block of cutting blades, comprising: at least one blade-holding body; one cutting blade on either side of said body, each blade having at least one cutting edge defining at the end thereof a cutting tip; means removably securing said blades to said body in spaced parallel relationship with respect to one another and with respect to the longitudinal axis of said handle; said spaced relationship being commensurate with the width of said strips; the cutting edges of said blades projecting from said body; wherein said removably securing means includes means fixing said blades in said parallel relationship such that said cutting tips lie in a line inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said holding body and blades, and c. means removably securing said blade block on said handle, at one end thereof.
 2. A tool as claimed in claim 1 including a shoe on said handle having feet extending beneath a portion of said blade block with said cutting edges projecting forwardly away from said shoe, said feet intended to act as a support bearing on said pelts, sheets of leather or the like in the use of said tool.
 3. A tool as claimed in claim 2 wherein said shoe is mounted at the lower end of said handle for sliding displacement relative thereto selectively to set the distance of the shoe to said portion of said blade block, and means to secure said shoe in selected position.
 4. A tool as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means removably securing said blade block to said handle comprises: a first jaw projecting from said handle above said shoe; a second jaw projecting from said handle, below said first jaw and spaced therefrom a distance sufficient to allow insertion of said blade holding body therebetween; means moving one of said jaws toward the other one to clamp said blade holding body therebetween, and wherein said second jaw extends, in clamped position of said blade block, beneath a portion of said blade holding body with said cutting edges projecting away from said second jaw.
 5. A tool as claimed in claim 4 wherein said second jaw is an L-shaped member having a clamping leg parallel with said first jaw and an actuating leg slidably mounted on said body, and said means moving one of said jaws comprises: resilient means biasing said clamping leg away from said first jaw; shoulder means formed at the free end of said actuating legs; and a lever pivoted on said handle and having a portion engageable with said shoulder means to move said clamping leg toward said first jaw against said resilient means when pivoted in a predetermined direction.
 6. A tool as claimed in claim 5 including latching means on said handle engageable with said lever to hold said blade block in clamped position.
 7. A tool as claimed in claim 4 wherein said body is formed along opposed edges with grooves and said jaws are formed with facing tongues engaged in said grooves in clamped position of said blade block.
 8. A tool as claimed in claim 5 wherein some of the cutting edges of said blades overlie the sides of said first jaw in clamped position of said blade block and wherein said lever has a channel shape portion with the web thereof standing over the edge of said first jaw and the flanges thereof standing over the blade cutting edges standing over the said sides of said first jaw.
 9. A tool as claimed in claim 2 wherein said means securing said blade block on said handle comprises: a block holding bar projecting from said handle above said shoe; a locking pin extending freely through an aperture across said bar in the direction of said shoe; said pin having a locking cross piece at the end thereof facing said shoe; resilient means biasing said pin and cross piece in a direction away from said shoe; wherein said body is formed with a T-shaped hole opening toward said locking pin constructed to receive said cross piece when disposed in one direction and lock said body against said bar after said cross piece has been rotated by 90*.
 10. A tool as claimed in claim 9 wherein some of the cutting edges of said blades overlie the sides of said block holding bar and comprising a channel shaped member over said bar having side flanges overlapping said blade cutting edges, as guards.
 11. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein there are two further blade-holding bodies, one on either side of the first mentioned bodies; there are two further blades with holes, said blades being disposed on the outer sides of said further blade-holding bodies, and there are locking plates disposed on either outer side of said two further blades, and wherein said means removably securing said blades to said body comprises the following structural features: the blade-holding sides of the first mentioned body are each formed with a pair of equally spaced recesses, the recesses on one side being retracted with respect to the recesses on the other side, in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said first mentioned body; each of said further bodies has a pair of equally spaced projecting lugs on the sides thereof, the lugs on one side being retracted with respect to the lugs on the other side in the direction of the longitudinal axis of said further bodies, said lugs extending across holes through said blades and being lodged into said recesses of said first mentioned body; said locking plates are formed with recesses for the reception of the lugs of said other sides of said two further blade-holding bodies, and means locking said bodies, blades and locking plates together whereby the cutting tips of said blades lie on said line inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said holding body and blades.
 12. A tool as claimed in claim 1, wherein said means removably securing said blades to said body comprises the following structural features: the blade-holding sides of said body are each formed with a pair of spaced recesses, the recesses on one side being retracted with respect to the recesses on the other side in thE direction of the longitudinal axis of said body; there are two locking plates disposed each on one side of said body and blades to overlie said blades, said plates being formed with lugs extending through holes in said blades and being lodged in said recesses of said body, and means locking said body, blades and locking plates together to form said block whereby the cutting tips of said blades lie in said line inclined with respect to the longitudinal axis of said holding body and blades. 